The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), has declared that the Director General, Brigadier General Ibrahim Shuaibu, has no plans to Islamise Corps members in its orientation camp in Benue State.
NYSC was reacting to an allegation by the Coalition for Peace and Justice that the DG expressed anger that there was no mosque in the camp and ordered the Benue State Coordinator to build a mosque immediately.
However, the scheme in a statement by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Adenike Adeyemi, explained that the DG’s directive was targeted at corps members’ welfare.
Adeyemi futher said that the instruction was aimed at ensuring all groups worship under structures built for that purpose and not exposed to negative weather elements in the event of rain or extreme sunshine.
The scheme maintained that it recognised all faiths and even allowed the National Association of Catholic Corpers, NACC, Nigerian Christian Corpers Fellowship, NCCF, and Muslim Corpers Association of Nigeria, MCAN, to operate without hindrance in the camp.
The statement reads: “When we visited the camp, the DG observed the three associations worshipping in the open space, he, therefore, instructed the state coordinator to provide spaces for them, as those worshipping should have a structure under which they should worship.
“The instruction was, therefore, targeted toward the welfare of the corps members.
“In fact, it wasn’t only Muslim Corpers Association of Nigeria (MCAN) that he saw that day. He was only concern about the welfare of the corps members without prejudice as the scheme does not favour any religion against another.”
